Bath-brush and operating means therefor.



I. ROBINSON.

BATH BRUSH AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED r3219. 1910.

992,905. Patented M11123, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1v um ma ann'unf' I VEW lsaaC 71 0 710)? I. ROBINSON.

BATH BRUSH AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR. APPLIOATION FILED r113. 19, 1910,

992,905. Patented May 23, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. ROBINSON. BATH BRUSH AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR. APPLIOATIOR TILED IIIB.19, 1910.

992,905. Patented May 23, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@ IQI P i r ii? E1 A56 1 2 x E i X 8 La" 7 5 41 l 49 41 2? 27 :1 IsaacFO 671 11.

I v I I. ROBINSON.

BATH BRUSH AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLIOATIOH FILED PEB.19, 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

il v ISAAC ROBINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BATH-BRUSH AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed February 19, 1910. Serial No. 544,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAo ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath- Brushes and Operating Means Therefor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a bath brush adapted for installation conveniently with reference to a bath tub and adapted to be manually actuated as, for instance, upomthehaolnof.theloather, as it is matter of considerable difiiculty for a corpulent or aged person to satisfactorily wash the back, when bathing.

The object of this invention is to afiord a construction operated manually to thor oughly wash the back while the operator stands in the tub or shower.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a combined back brush and shower adapted for ready installation conveniently to the tub and which permits of readily soaping, washing, rinsing, and showering the body, thus affording with one construction a simple and compact device of great utility.

It Is also an object of the invention to afford a rotatable, yieldingly supported brush adapted to be moved vertically while rotat ing against the person.

It is a further object of the invention to afford yielding vertical ways on which the brush may move when in operation.

Finally it is an object of the invention to afford an exceedingly cheap, simple and durable device of the class described capable of being quickly installed by one not previously having experience and capable of being operated by any person.

The invention embraces many novel features and consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims' In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation with the tub in section, of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with the tub also in fragmentary section. .Fig. 3 is an enlarged frag mentary front elevation. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4L of Fig. 3, with the clamps in plan. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation with the soap retainer removed. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation. Fig. 7 is a central section taken between the supports.

Figs. 8 and 9 are similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but illustrate a modified construction. Fig. 10 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of the soap container and spray head. Fig. 13 is an enlarged central vertical section of the brush and soap container and spray head. Fig. 14 is an enlarged face view of the spray head.

As shown in the drawings: A frame is constructed of an upper and a lower pail of tubular brackets 1 and 2, each of which is threaded into a foot piece 3, to permit the same to be screwed to the wall, and are connected by means of tees 4, with an upright 5, which extends parallel the wall and rigidly connects the corresponding upper and lower brackets. Each pair of brackets is also connected by means of the horizontal tube or bar 6, which connects with the ends by means of elbows to afford rigid horizontal upper and lower attaching members. The frame so described, of course, may be of any desired material though conveniently sections of brass or nickel tubes are preferred, owingto the ease with which the same may be worked to construct the frame.

Connected with the elbow on the lower horizontal attaching member 6, on each side thereof are upwardly extending cords 7, which may be of any suitable flexible material and secured at the upper end of each of said cords is a strong coiled pulling spring 8, which also affords the connection between said flexible member and the corresponding upper bracket. The two cords 7, so arranged one on each side of the frame before described, afford the guides or ways whereon the brush is moved vertically while rotating.

As shown, a brush frame 9, is constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material and is substantially rectangular in form and comprises upper and lower horizontal rails 10 and 11, and integral side rails 12, the latter of which are rolled rearwardly to afford side tubes through which extend the cables or cords 7, before described. As shown, each of the side rails 12, of said frame is provided centrally with an integral clamp 13, which receives therein the ends of a shaft 17, on which the core 16, of the brush 15, is journaled so that said brush rotates freely in said frame. Said core 16 is provided near each of its ends with a peripheral groove 18, adapted to receive therein the bight of the rotating cable 19, one at each end of the brush and as shown, the lower end of which is secured upon the lower horizontal rod 6, adjacent the brackets and the upper end of whicli is secured upon the upper horizontal rod or tube by means of a strong pulling spring 20, which at all times maintains said rotating core under considerable tension.

As shown, a sheave 21, is secured centrally of the lower horizontal bar 6, and roved therethrough is a line 22, one end of which is connected with the lower horizontal member 11, of the brush frame and the other end of which extends upwardly and is passed around the sheave 23, near one end of the upper horizontal bar and the dependin end of said cable is provided with a hand stop 24, of any convenient kind to permit the operator to maintain a grip on said cable or cord. In a similar manner a cord or cable 25, is secured at one end on the upper brush frame member 10, and is passed around a sheave 26, on said upper tubular frame member 6, and the depending end is provided with a hand stop 27, such as before described.

Secured on the upper brush frame member 10, is a cylindric spray head 28, perforated to et its contents over the brush and upon the person of the user, and connected in said spray head is the hose pipe 29, the other end of which is connected with the bath cock or any other suitable source of water supply. Should a soap container be desired, one may be supported on said frame in any suitable position to enable the soap if liquid, to be delivered to the brush, or,

if in the form of a cake, in position to bear against the brush. The latter form is shown and for this purpose metallic straps 30, are secured on the end of the brush frame members 12, and extend rearwardly and are hooked inwardly, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, in position to engage an end bar 31, of a length to fit between said end hooks, and as shown, rigidly secured on said bar 31, at its middle is a strap of metal 32, which extends above and below said bar, the ends 33, of which are bent forwardly to confine the cake of soap therebetween, as shown in Fig. 6. A spring 34, bears against said bars and acts to press the soap cake 35, lightly against the brush.

The construction shown in Figs. 9 to 14 inclusive, is substantially that hereinbefore described with the exception that a nonrotatable brush is employed supported upon parallel upright guides 36, in a main frame such as before described. Said brush is remova-bly secured in a sheet metal brush frame 37, the ends 38, of which are bent to afford tubes to engage said rods and the connecting bar or frame 37, is provided at its upper and lower edges with inturned flanges 39, which engage the back 40, of the brush 41, to hold the same firmly in place. The

operating cables are connected substantially as before described to permit said brush t be moved vertically by the bather whil standing in contact with the brush. Th; hose pipe 42, is connected with a spray nozzle 43, directed onto the brush and toward the bather, and connected with the wateri passage in said nozzle or head is a container 44, of any suitable'type for liquid soap.

The operation is as follows: The bather Y having connected the hose with the source of water supply, stands in position for the brush to engage the part of the body desired to be operated on thereby, as, for instance, should he desire to wash the back, he stands with the back pressed against the brush. Draft on one of the operating lines 22- or 25, draws the brush frame upwardly or downwardly as the case may be, such upward movement necessitating the rapid rotation of the brush owing to the fact that the rotating cable or line 19, at each end of the brush is wound about the same. Practically any desired pressure of the brush on the person may be attained, as the operator leans against the brush, the guide cables 7, however, being connected by means of strong pulling springs with the main frame, yield sufficiently to permit free upward and downward movement of the brush frame nevertheless. The rotation of the brush applies the soap from the cake 35, to the person until the soap cake is removed from the retaining frame in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7, or until the liquid soap container shown in Fig. 13, is closed, after which the spray head continues to deliver a shower to the person with the brush simultaneously acting upon the skin which serves to thoroughly wash and cleanse the same.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 9 to 14 inclusive, inasmuch as the brush is non-rotatably supported to slide up and down in the main frame, a yielding frame construction may be dispensed with and plain rods or tubes employed. In this construction the operation is substantially as before described, the brush moving up and down is operated manually and being operated either independently of, or in conjunction with the soap, as the spray head is directed upon the person.

Of course, it will be obvious that the bather in operating the brush may exert any degree of muscular effort he may elect, inasmuch as the greater the pressure against the brush the greater the force in moving the Of course, numerous details of the con struction may be varied, and I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a suitable frame and parallel upright elastic guides therefor, of a frame slidable on said guides, manually operated means for moving said frame on said guides, and an outwardly directed brush carried on said frame.

2. A device of the class described embracing the combination with parallel vertical elastic guides, of a brush slidably mounted thereon, connections for manually operating the same, a spray member connected with said brush to deliver water above the same, and a soap container connected with and movable simultaneously with the brush.

3. In a device of the class described a frame comprising an upper and lower pair of tubular brackets, a foot piece secured to each bracket adapting the same to be secured to a wall, vertical guides secured to the brackets, horizontal bars secured to the up per and lower brackets, a frame slidable on the guides, a brush, supported within said frame, hand lines for actuating said brush a soap container movable with the brush and on said guides, a spray also movable with the brush and supported above the same and acting to spray water upon the user.

4. The combination with upwardly directed elastic guide lines, of a frame movable thereon, a brush supported in said frame, hand lines for actuating said brush up and down on said guides, and a spray movable with the brush and supported above the same and acting to spray water upon the user.

5. A device of the class described embrac ing parallel guide lines, means yieldingly engaging the same under constant tension to the frame and imparting elasticity thereto, a rotative brush mounted therein, hand lines for moving said frame up and down on said guides, and means for rotating said brush simultaneously with such vertical movement.

6. The combination with a. main frame of parallel vertical guides yieldingly connected to the main frame to aflord resiliency and a constant tension, a rotatable lqrush supported on said guides, lines for actuating the same, and a spray movable with the brush to deliver water thereon.

7 The combination with a main frame of guides yieldingly engaged thereto to afford resiliency, a brush frame slidably mounted thereon, means for actuating said frame, a rotatable brush journaled in the frame, a rotating line or lines yieldingly engaged to the main frame and turned about said brush, and hand lines for shifting said frame up and down on said guides.

8. A combined rotating body brush, a

spray and soaping device adapted to simultaneously treat the briish when rotating, and lines connected with the brush for actuating the same manually to afford an exercising apparatus.

9. A combined bath spray and exercising apparatus embracing a movable brush frame, a brush journaled therein, to operate on the person, hand lines connected with said brush to move the same up and down, cables on which said brush moves and means yieldingly connecting the cables to the main frame of the device.

10. In a device of the class described a main frame, parallel guides connected thereto, a brush frame slidably mounted thereon, a brush supported in said brush frame means for shifting said frame and brush on said guides, a spray secured to the brush frame movable with the brush and supported above the same and acting to spray water upon the user and a so apgg i tainer secured to the brush frame and movable with the same adapted to treat the brush with soap when in operation.

11. In a device of the class described a main frame, guide lines yieldingly secured thereto, a frame movable thereon, a brush carried in said frame and means for moving said brush on said guides.

12. In a device of the class described a main frame, guides yieldingly secured thereto, a frame slidably engaged thereto, a scrubber supported in the slidable frame, a spray and soaping device secured to the slidable frame and movable with the same and lines connected to said slidable frame for actuat ing the same manually.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses ISAAC ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

LAWRENCE REIBSTEIN, K. E. HANNAH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

